Weightlifting Glossary
FREE definitions for every weightlifting word

This weightlifting glossary has every word you will ever need that's associated with working out.

Abduction- Movement of a limb away from the middle of the body, such as bringing arm to shoulder height from hanging down position.

Abs- Abbreviation for abdominal muscles.

Adduction- Movement of a limb toward the middle of the body, such as bringing arm to side from extended position at shoulder.

Adhesion- Fibrous patch holding muscles or other parts together that are normally seperated.

Aerobic Exercise- (With oxygen)- Activity in which demands of muscle for oxygen are met by circulation of oxygen in blood. Distance running, cross country skiing, distance cycling and aerobic activities.

AFWB- American Federation of Women Bodybuilders- group that administers women's amateur bodybuilding events in America.

Agonist- Muscle directly engaged in contration, that is primarily responible for movement of a body part.

All-or-None- Muscle fiber contracts fully or it does not contract at all.

Anabolic Steriod- Synthetic chemical that mimics the muscle-building characteristics of the male hormone testosterone.

Anaerobic Exercise- (Without oxygen)- Activity in which oxygen demands of muscles are so high that they rely upon an internal metabolic process for oxygen. Short bursts of "all-out" activities such as sprinting or weightlifting are anaerobic.

Antagonist- Muscle that counteracts the agonist, lengthening when agonist muscle contracts.

APC- American Physique Committee, Inc.- a group that administers men's amateur bodybuilding in America.

Arm Blaster- Aluminum or fiberglass strip about 5" x 24", supported at waist height by a strap around the neck. Keeps elbows from moving while curling barbell or dumbbells or doing triceps pushdowns.

Atrophy- Withering away- decrease in size and functional ability fo tissue or organs.

Baby's Butt- Indentation between the two heads of biceps muscles of very muscular athlete.

Back-Cycling- Cutting back on either number of sets, repetitions or amount of weight used during an exercise session.

Barbell- Weight used for exercise, consisting of a rigid handle 5-7' long, with detachable metal discs at each end.

Biomechanics- Science concerned with the internal and external forces acting on a human body and the effects produced by these forces.

Bodybuilding- Weight training to change physical appearance.

Buffed- As in a "finely buffed finish"- good muscle size and definition.

Bulking-Up- Gaining body weight by adding muscle, body fat or both.

Burn- As in "going for the burn"- in endurance exercise, working muscles until lactic acid buildup causes burning sensation.

Cardiovascular Training- Physical conditioning that strengthens heart and blood vessels.

Chalk- Powder used on hands for a secure grip.

Cheating- Too musch weight used on an exercise, therefore relying on surrounding muscle groups for assistance in the movement, or changing joint angles for more leverage, as in arching back in bench press.

Circuit Training- Going quickly from one exercise apparatus to another and doing a prescribed number of exercises on each apparatus, to keep pulse rate high and promote overall fitness.

Clean- Lifting weight from floor to shoulder in one motion.

Clean and Jerk- Olympic lift where weight is raised from floor to overhead in 2 movements.

Clean and Snatch- One of 2 Olympic lifts where weight is raised from floor to overhead at arms' length in one motion.

Compound Training- Sometimes called "giant sets", doing 3-4 exercises for the same muscle, one after another, with minimal rest in between.

Concentric Contraction- When muscle contracts or shortens.

Crunches- Abdominal exercises- sit-ups done lying on floor with legs on bench, hands behind neck.

Curl-Bar- cambered bar designed for more comfortable grip and less forearm strain.

Cutting-Up- Reducing body fat and water retention to increase muscular definition.

Dead Lift - One of three powerlifting events, where weight is lifted off floor to approximately waist height. Lifter must stand erect, shoulders back.

Delts- Abbreviation for deltoids, the large triangular muscles of the shoulder which raise the arm away from the body and perform other functions.

Dip Belt- Large heavy belt worn around the hips with a chain at each end that can be attached to a barbell plate or dumbbell for additional resistance during certain exercises like dips.

Double(Split Training)Routine- Working out twice a day to allow for shorter, more intense workouts. Usually performed by advanced bobybuilders preparing for contests.

Drying Out- Encouraging loss of body fluids by limiting liquid intake, eliminating salt, sweating heavily and using diuretics.

Dumbbell - Weight used for exercising consisting of rigid handle about 14" long with sometimes detachable metal discs at each hand.

Easy Set- Exercise not close to maximum effort, as in a warm-up.

Eccentric Contraction- Muscle lengthens while maintaining tension.

Endurance- Ability of a muscle to produce force continually over a period of time.

Estrogen- Female sex hormone.

Extension- Body part (hand, neck, trunk, etc.) going from a bent to a straight position, as in leg extension.

Fascia- Fibrous connective tissue that covers, supports and separates all muscles and muscle groups. It also unites skin with underlying tissue.

Fast-Twitch- Refers to muscle cells that fire quickly and are utilized in anaerobic activites like sprinting and powerlifting.

Flex- Bend or decrease angle of a joint, contract a muscle.

Flexion- Bending in contrast to extending, as in leg flexions.

Flush- Cleanse a muscle by increasing the blood supply to it, removing toxins left in muscle by exertion.

Forced Repetitions- Assistance to perform additional repetitions of an exercise when muscles can no longer complete movement on their own.

Free Style Training- Training all body parts in one workout.

Gluteals- Abbreviation for gluteus maximus, medius and minimus: the buttocks muscles.

Hand Off- Assistance in getting a weight to starting position for an exercise.

Hand Set- Perform a prescribed number of repetitions of an exercise using maximum effort.

Hypertrophy- Increase in size of muscle fiber.

IFBB- International Federation of Bodybuilders, founded in 1946- group that over sees worldwide men's and women's amateur and professional bodybuilding.

Isokinetic exercise- Isotonic exercise in which there is accommodating resistance. Also refers to contant speed.

Isometric exercise- Muscular action in which muscle maintains a constant length and joints do not move. These exercises are usually performed against a wall or immovable object.

Kinesiology- Study of muscles and their movements.

Lats- Abbreviation for latissimus dorsi, the large muscles of the back that move the arms downward, backward and in internal rotation.

Lean body mass- Everything in the body except fat, including bone, organs, skin, nails and all body tissue including muscle.

Lift off- Assistance in getting weight to proper starting position.

Ligament- Strong, fibrous band of connecting tissue connecting 2 or more bones or cartilages or supporting a muscle, fascia or organ.

Lock-out- Partial repetition of an exercise by pushing the weight through only last few inches of movement.

Max- Maximum effort for one repetition of an exercise.

Military press- Pressing a barbell from upper chest upward in standing or sitting position.

Muscle head- Slang for someone whose life is dominated by training.

Muscle spasm- Sudden. involuntary contraction of muscle or muscle group.

Muscle tone- Condition in which a muscle is in a constant yet slight state of contraction and appears firm.

Muscularity- Another term for definition, denoting fully delineated muscles and absence of body fat.

Myositis- Muscular soreness due to inflammation that often occurs 1-2 days after unaccustomed exercise.

Nautilus- Isokinetic-type exercise machine which attempts to match resistance with user's force.

Negative reps- One or two partners help you lift a weight up to 50% heavier than you would normally lift to finish point of movement. Then you slowely lower weight on your own.

Non-Locks- Performing an exercise without going through complete range of motion. For example: doing squat without coming to full lock-out position of knees or pressing a barbell without locking out elbows.

Odd lifts- Exercises used in competition other than snatch and clean and jerk, such as squats, bench presses and barbell curls.

Olympic lifts- Two movements used in national and international Olympic competitions.

Olympic set- High-quality, precision-made set of weights used for competition. The bar is around 7 feet long. All moving parts have either brass bushings or bearings. Plates are machined for accurate weight.

Onion set- Slang denoting skin with very low percentage of subcutaneous fat which helps accentuate muscularity.

Overload principle- Applying a greater load than normal to a muscle to increase its capability.

Partial reps- Performing an exercise without going through a complete range of motion either at the beginning or end of a rep.

Peak contraction- Exercising a muscle until it cramps by using shortened movements.

P.H.A.- Peripheral Heart Action- a system of training where you go from one exercise to another, with little or no rest, preferably alternating upper body and lower body exercises.

Plyometric exercise- Where muscles are loaded suddenly and stretched, then quickly contracted to produce a movement. Athletes who jump do these for example: jumping off bench to ground.

Pose down- Bodybuilders performing their poses at the same time in a competition, trying to outpose one another.

Power lifts- Three movements used in powerlifting competition, the squat, bench press and dead lift.

Power training- System of weight training using low repetitions, heavy weights.

Progressive resistance- Method of training where weight is increased as muscles gain strength and endurance. The backbone of all weight training.

Pumped- Slang meaning the muscles have been made large by increasing blood supply to them through exercise.

Pumping iron- Phrase that has been in use since the 1950's but recently greatly popularized. Lifting weights.

Quads- Abbreviation for quadriceps femoris muscles, muscles on top of legs, which consist of 4 parts.

Quality training- training just before bodybuilding competition where intervals between sets are drastically reduced to enhance muscle mass and density, and low-calorie diet is followed to reduce body fat.

Repetition- One complete movement of an exercise.

Rep out- Repeat the same exercise over and over until you are unable to do anymore.

Rest interval- Pause between sets of an exercise which allows muscles to recover partially before beginning next set.

Rest pause training- Training method where you press out one difficult repetition, then replace bar in stands, then after a 10-20 second rest, do another rep.

Set- Fixed number of repetitions.

Slow twitch- Muscle cells that contract slowly, are resistant to fatigue and are utilized in endurance activities such as long-distance running, cycling or swimming.

Snatch- Olympic lift where weight if lifted from floor to overhead, with arms extended, in one continuous movement.

Spot- Assist if called upon by someone performing an exercise.

Spotter- Person who watches a partner closely to see if any help is needed during a specific exercise.

Stricking point- Most difficult part of a movement.

Straight sets- Groups of repetitions interrupted by only brief pauses 30-90 seconds.

Strength- The ability of a muscle to produce maximum amount of force.

Strength training- Using resistance weight training to build maximum muscle force.

Striations- Grooves or ridge marks seen under the skin, the ultimate degree of muscle definition.

Super set- Alternating back and forth between two exercises until the prescribed number of sets is complete.

Tendon- A band or cord of strong, fibrous tissue that connects muscle to bone.

Testosterone- Principle male hormone that accelerates tissue growth and stimulates blood flow.

Thick skin- Smooth skin caused by too much fatty tissue between the layers of muscle and beneath skin.

Training effect- Increase in functional capacity of muscles as result of increased (overload) placed upon them.

Training straps- Cotton or leather straps wrapped around wrists, then under and over a bar held by clenced hands to aid in certain lifts where you might lose your grip before working muscle to desired capacity.

Training to failure- Continuing a set until it's impossible to complete another rep without assistance.

Trimming down- To gain hard muscular appearance by losing body fat.

Tri sets- Alternating back and forth between 3 exercises until prescribed number of sets is completed.

Variable resistance- Strength training equipment where the machine varies amount of weight being lifted to match strength curve for a particular exercise.

Vascularity- Increase in size and number of observable veins. Highly desirable in bodybuilders.

Weightlifting belt - Thick leather belt used to support lower back when lifting weights while doing squats, military press, dead lifts and bent rowing.

This weightlifting glossary should give you a breif description of each word that's associated with lifting weights. Sometimes it's nice to beable to check out what the words mean that were using through out this site.